I, Dorothy
by Titanic Mist
Summary: If people knew what I really think about things, they might be shocked. But no one cares about a little girl like me.


_(I'm playing Dorothy in a local theater and started writing this while I was working on character development. I thought I may as well share it. Enjoy.)_

No one ever listens to me. I'm quite sure of it. Poor Toto was hurt and scared, and they were too busy moving the chicks to even listen. I'm so lonely, and I hate it when Uncle Henry tells me to stay out of his hair. He doesn't have all that much hair to stay out of, anyway.

Then I tried to talk to Zeke, Hickory and Hunk. They were all working too, arguing like they always do. Sometimes they take a really long time to do stuff, because they don't think it out very well. But I've never had anyone call a sheriff on me, and I don't know what'll happen. Can he arrest me? And even if he doesn't, can he arrest Toto? Toto wasn't meaning to be naughty. Maybe I could tell him that I did it on purpose, and he could punish me instead.

But I don't really want to be punished. Mama and Daddy never punished me much. Not like Aunty Em does. Sometimes she sends me to bed without supper, and sometimes she hits me with her slipper. It doesn't look like it would really hurt – but it does. I heard her tell Henry once that I was spoiled, but I don't mean to be spoiled. I'm just bored. Everything is so ugly here, and there's nothing to do. Even the teacher at the school doesn't know how to answer my questions, and she told me to stop asking them. Nobody else knows either, or they won't tell me, so I have to ask Toto – but even he can't answer, though I feel sure that he knows.

I asked Hunk what to do, just because Toto chases her old cat.

He asked if I had brains. Of course, I have brains. Sometimes I think I have more brains than anybody here. Then he said to go around Mrs. Gulch's place. That would be a good idea in the future, but she's already in town getting the Sherriff. I have to think of something before she gets here.

I wonder what Auntie Em's going to do when she finds out.

But before I can answer him and tell him that, Uncle Henry is back. I like Uncle Henry. He's nice to me, most of the time, and he'll help me sometimes when I ask him. I would ask him now, except he's yelling again, and that just makes me worry what he'll do when he finds out. He hired all the men for their keep, since jobs are so scarce now, but he sure makes them work a lot.

I start to follow him, but he is still mad, so I go to Zeke instead. Zeke never yells at me – or anyone, really. He calls Mrs. Gulch names that I'd get slippered for saying. It makes me laugh every time, but I don't know why. Maybe because it just sounds so funny coming from him. He starts telling me that I shouldn't be afraid of her – which is funny because he always hides when she comes around. I'm not afraid of her, and I tell him so. If I was afraid of her, I wouldn't have run after Toto.

I'm just afraid of what's going to happen when the sheriff shows up.

He says next time she squawks, I need to walk up and spit in her eye. It puts such a funny picture in my head that I laugh. What would the sheriff think? Especially if Zeke did it and not me? Too bad he won't. Just when I think maybe things will be fine after all, someone screams behind us. I think it's Mrs. Gulch but it's Hickory and Hunk laughing. And poor Zeke looks as though he might have a heart attack. I'm pretty scared myself, but I pretend not to be.

Then Auntie Em comes out with cookies, and while she's talking to the guys, I decide I better tell her before the sheriff shows up. Maybe we can find a plan.

I start to tell her again, but she tells me I'm imagining things.

Sometimes I do imagine things. When I first came here, I thought the screech owls were someone being murdered out in the fields. And I woke Uncle Henry when I heard the coyotes, because I thought they were spooks. But I'm not making it up this time. Auntie Em won't listen and tells me to find a place where I won't get into any trouble.

Some place where there isn't any trouble…

Mama said there wasn't any trouble in Heaven. I asked where that was, and Dad said it was behind the rainbow. So I start thinking about that and imagining that the rainbow tipped down to earth, and I could step on it and climb up. I'd see Mama and Daddy and things would be beautiful, just like Mama said. Sometimes I dream that I find them again, and if I could climb a rainbow, that dream would come true. I imagine myself falling asleep and a beautiful angel coming for me in the night to carry me up to the clouds. Then a bird flies out of the tree. I watch it, and wonder if I could fly, if I could just go for a visit.

Maybe. I would certainly fly away from here.


End file.
